Carpet-stretcher



W.I G. BERTRAM. GYARPET STRETCHBR.

Patented Mar. 3, 1896.

(No Model.)

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ATTORNEYS.

ANDREW BLRAHAM. PhlOTO-UTND-WSHINGTDN. D E

its stretched condition while being tacked,

iran @raras \VILLIAM G. BERTRAM, OF NET ROCHELLE, NEV YORK.

CARPET-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,755, dated March 3, 1896.

Application tiled October l0, 1895.

To all whom t may concern.-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM G. BERTRAM, of N ew Rochelle, in the county of VVestchester and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Carpet-Stretcher, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in carpet-stretchers, and has for its object to provide a device of this character of a simple and inexpensive construction adapted for convenient use in stretching carpets and which shall be adapted to hold the carpet in whereby the carpet-layer is permitted to use both hands freely to tack and straighten the carpet.

The invention consists in a carpet-stretcher comprising two parts, one adapted to engage the floor and the other to engage the carpet to be stretched, said parts being arranged to move over one another, and means for moving one of the parts and holding the parts in position after being moved.

The invention also contemplates certain novel features of the construction, combination and arrangement of the various parts of the device, whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device is made simpler, cheaper and otherwise betteradapted and more convenient for use than various other similar devices heretofore employed, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a face view of a carpet-stretcher constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an edge viewT of the same, and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view showing the form of the handle of the operating-lever of my improved device.

In the views, 1 represents the body of the device, which may be conveniently made of cast metal of a form adapted to be held in the hand for use, and said body is, as shown, of uniform flattened rectangular cross-sec tion along its rear part, being provided with a bore or slideway 2, formed longitudinally Serial No. 565,271. (No model.)

through it and also of flattened rectangular cross-section.

The top and bottom walls of the body 1 are at the forward end thereof made to overhang the sides 4 4 thereof, as show-n at 3 in Fig. 1, and the forward end of the body is open and expanded to form a socket 5, having closed sides G, as clearly shown, the sides of the body 1 between said closed sides G of said socket 5 and the sides 4 of the body being open, as seen at 7 in Fig. 2.

In the bore or slideway 2 of the body is arranged and longitudinally movable a shank or stem 8 having a head 9 to iit in the socket 5 when said shank is in its innermost position, and on its upper face said shank or stem 8 is provided with a longitudinal series of ratchet-teeth or serrations 10 arranged to be engaged by the bent end 11 of a dog or pawl 12, pivoted at 13 on the top of the enlarged end of the body 1 and normally held by a spring 14 in engagement with said teeth 10, but adapted to be conveniently manipulated by the operator to release the shank and permit the same to be ,pushed into the bore 2.

The opposite sides of the shank or stem 8 are silnilarly provided with ratchet-teeth or serrations 1G, as seen in the drawings, which teeth are adapted to be engaged by the end 17 of an operating-lever 18, slotted, as shown in dotted lines at 19 in Fig. l, for the passage through it of a pin or bolt 20, adapted to be passed through perforations 22 in the opposite sides of the overhanging portions 3 of the top and bottom of the body.

The perforations 22 are located opposite the recesses 7 in the opposite sides of the body, and said lever 18 may by this construction be pivoted at either side of the body, so that its end 17 will engage either of the series of teeth 16 in the opposite sides of the shank or stem 8. A nut 21 serves to secure the bolt or pin 20in place, and the end of the operatinglever 18 is provide-d with an opening 23, through which the ngers may be passed to work said lever.

At its smaller end the` body 1 is provided with an axial aperture or socket. adapted to receive a stem or stud 25 on a plate 261, having points orteeth 27 adapted to be engaged with the floor on which the carpet is being laid, as will be presently described, .and a IOO screw 2S serves to hold said stud 25 in said socket, so that the plate 26 may be removed and replaced in ease it should be broken.

rlhe outer end 9 of the shank or stem 8 is also provided with a plate 29, held thereon by means of screws 30 or the like, and having points or teeth 3l to be engaged with the carpet to be stretched.

In operation the device is placed beneath the carpet,the operating-lever being arranged at that side of the body where it will be most convenientto be grasped by the carpet-layer, and the points 27 on the body are properly engaged with the floor, after which the points 3l on the shank or stem are engaged under the carpet. The operating-lever 1S is then manipulated, being held so as to extend parallel to the floor, (indicated at 24 in Fig. 3,) and the fingers will be protected and held from contact with the iioor by being housed in the aperture or loop 23 of said lever. As the lever 1 8 is worked, the shank or stem is caused to move out of the bore of the body, and held in its outward position by the dog l2, which engages the teeth 10 in the top of said shank.

rlhe device constructed as above described is extremely simple and inexpensive, and is well adapted for use in laying carpets, since it is not only adapted for stretching the earpet,but also serves to hold the carpet stretched while being tacked, and gives the carpet-layer free use of both hands.

It will be obvious from the above description of my invention that the device is susceptible of considerable modiieation without material departure from the principles and spirit of the invention, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form of the device herein set forth.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A carpet-stretcher, comprising two parts movable on one another, one part lhaving teeth, an operating-lever having means for securing it pivotally to opposite sides of the other part in position to engage said teeth, and means Jfor holding the parts in position when moved, substantially as set forth.

2. A carpet-stretcher, comprising two parts movable on one an other, one part having serrations extending along opposite sides, an operating-lever having means for pivotally connecting it to opposite sides of the other part and in position to engage the serrations of the respective series, and means for holding the parts in position when moved, substantially as set forth.

3. A carpet-stretcher, comprising two parts adapted for movement on one another, and having at opposite ends means for engaging the floor and the carpet to be stretched, respectively, and an operating-lever connected to one section to move the same, saidlever being adapted when the device is in use to move adjacent to the iioor and being provided with a looped handle at its end to house the iin gers, substantially as set forth.

Li. A carpet-stretcher, comprisingtwo parts movable on one another, one part having serrations, an operating-lever pivotally mounted on the other part and adapted to be arranged to project from either side of the part on which it is pivoted, and when so arranged to engage the serrations in the first-named part, and means for holding the parts in position when moved, substantially as set forth.

5. A carpet-stretcher, comprising two parts movable on one another, one part-having two longitudinal series of teeth, an operatinglever adapted to engage either series of teeth on the toothed part having means for securing it pivotally to the other part in position to enga-ge one of the series of teeth on the rst-mentioned part, and means for holding the parts in position when moved, substantially as set forth.

6. A carp et-stretcher, comprising two parts movable on one another, one part having serrations formed on its opposite sides and on its upper face, an operating-lever having means for pivotally connecting it to opposite sides of the other part in position to engage the serrations along the respective sides of the first-mentioned part, and a pawl carried on the part to which the operating-lever is pivoted in position to engage the serrations on the upper side of the first-mentioned part, substantially as set forth.

WILLIAM G. BERTRAM.

Vitnesses:

J. D. CAPLINGER, J No. M. RITTER. 

